Much more interesting than the battle of the billionaires at the top of the league is the jockeying for position among those liable to drop into the division below, and the desperate fight in that division below by those trying to clamber back up again.

The predictors in the papers tend to assume that the three newly-promoted teams are favourites to drop straight back down but actually that rarely happens, and the survival of one or two adds drama to the season. Recently Wigan came up and survived very well, as Reading did for one season bedfore dropping out. Sunderland hung on by their finger tips last year but will probably 'do a Wigan' now that Steve Bruce has left Wigan to take the helm at the Stadium of Light (terrible name).

It will be an achievement if Hull get as many points as Derby did two seasons ago when they fell out of the top division with the lowest ever total. Portsmouth were lucky to survive last year and have since lost some of their best players, so must be candidates for the drop as the professional commentators like to say.

Among the newly arrived clubs, I fancy Burnley to exceed expectations and finish in the top half of the table. Their manager Owen Coyle looks like one of the best around. Of the other two, it's hard to see a bright future for either Wolves or Birmingham City; or indeed to care much about their fate.

As for those hoping to come back to haunt us, will Ipswich respond to Roy Keane's fierce blarney? Probably. Middlesbrough have lost their best players and there's no intrinsic reason why they should come straight back up. Newcastle didn't seem to have many best players to lose, and ditto.

Portsmouth look like they could struggle this season and surely Stoke's one dimensional battering ram style of play will be found out.
I have to think not many of the primadonnaship players will fancy a trip to Burnley's Turf Moor on a wet and windy day. Away fans housed in one of the (c)oldest stands I have ever witnessed last season.
As for being a Yo- Yo team Watford have tasted the top flight twice and the problem is not staying there, as we were not expected to nor were good enough to, rather what happens after relegation. The better players leave and your team consists of journeymen on high wages and long contracts who are still on the books when the parachute money stops. The club gets deeper in debt as income gets nowhere near outgoings and rich benefactors do not seem to find the attractions of Reg Dwight's former club very appealing.
Oh well ' I'm still standing ', until a steward tells me to sit down.

Wolves lost at home to West Ham on Saturday & beat Wigan away on Tuesday.

At the end of last season I wrote:Wolves are Championship champions with only one player in their squad from outside the United Kingdom & Ireland. It is a legal requirement for them to sign up legions of Brazilians, Africans & Eastern Europeans before they join the Premiership?

Well, their first team squad now includes an American, a Frenchman and a Serbian in addition to Cameroonian George Elokobi who's been with them since January 2008.

Dominic wrote:Wolves lost at home to West Ham on Saturday & beat Wigan away on Tuesday.

Right now, they look the weakest team in the division. Even though Portsmouth are currently below them, I think they will turn out OK and hang on by their fingernails again.

Funny to see Sunderland up in the top eight alongside the high and mighty, confirming what an effective manager Steve Bruce has become.

Meanwhile Middlesbrough and Newcastle are doing surprisingly well in the lower division (both in the top three, in the company of West Brom, the other relegated team from last season). And Roy Keane has not yet worked his magic at Ipswich.